Commute to Everest

Add up the stairs on your commute, at stations, the office and the Tube, to see how high you climb in a year.

Your details

Commute stairs to Mount Everest

2.7 years

3,312 m climbed a year

Each commute day18 m
Commute days a year184
Mountains a year0.37 x Mount Everest

Skipping the lift at stations and offices is a quick win: a few minutes of stair climbing a day adds up to real fitness over a year. Take the escalator down if your knees prefer it.

The working

6 floors a day, 4 days a week, 46 weeks

Six floors of 3 m is 18 m a commute day. Over 184 commute days that is 3,312 m a year, so Everest (8,849 m) takes 2.7 years, or 0.37 Everests a year.

Where to find stairs

On a normal commute

Station stairs instead of the escalator
Office stairs for the first or last few floors
Getting off the bus a stop early on a hill

Why it matters

Small and often

Short bouts of stair climbing several times a day improve fitness in people who do little other exercise, and they fit into time you are travelling anyway.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Know your buildingOffice floors vary from about 3 to 4 m.
Count your whole commuteWalking and cycling count too; add them elsewhere.
Push through painTake the lift if your knees or breathing say no.

Questions

Common questions

How high is a floor?

Offices are often 3 to 4 m floor to floor; homes about 2.6 m.

Is taking the stairs worth it?

Yes. Regular stair climbing is vigorous activity that builds leg strength and stamina.

How long to climb Everest on commute stairs?

At 18 m a day on 184 days a year, about 2.7 years.

Should I walk up escalators?

It counts as stair climbing, but only where it is safe and allowed.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Stop and get help

Stop and get help if you have chest pain, feel faint or are unusually breathless, and call 999 if chest pain does not go away. Check with your GP before stepping up if you have a heart, lung or joint condition.